


A Fairytale Ending

by alixcat



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25061221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alixcat/pseuds/alixcat
Summary: "Like a hero’s myth that seems too well orchestrated to be real."In which Essek yearns for a storybook ending he thinks he'll never get.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Kudos: 60





	A Fairytale Ending

He was just so  _ perfect _ .

Not in the sense that he did no wrong. That would be foolish to claim. Essek knew that to say Caleb was a flawless being would be more insulting than any observation of his imperfection. But he was the perfect him. Like a character in a book that falls just right so they can bring others up with them. Like a hero’s myth that seems too well orchestrated to be real. The guy that messed up enough to learn but never enough to fail.  _ That _ kind of perfect. 

He knew he’d never reach that perfect. His story was the one told to show that action does not equal intent, that sometimes the heroes have to make the tough calls in who they save. He was the story of the unredeemed, the exception of the rule. 

Everyone knew the story. The hero saves the world and falls in love with the sidekick that helped him every step of the way. Essek had joined too late for that. He was the foil, the one that helped him grow and become who he always knew he could be. He was okay with that.

But things changed. He was the one getting the sideways glances, the looks that lasted a bit too long. The protective anger came out when he got hurt too. They were the ones sharing late night conversations, hushed as they kept watch over their sleeping friends. The passionate kiss was shared between them when the fight left them fearing for their lives. 

It wasn’t like the stories at all, but he didn’t mind. He had never been a fan of fairy tales.


End file.
